Study: NSAIDs May Lower PSA Levels

Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen may decrease serum levels of PSA, which could affect detection of prostate cancer, according to a report in Cancer (2008; published online ahead of print).

Men who used NSAIDs regularly had PSA levels about 10% lower than men who did not.

The findings come from a study of 1,319 men over age 40 who participated in the 2002 National health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Corresponding author Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, an assistant professor in the division of epidemiology, community, and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, noted: “While our results are consistent with other research that indicates that certain painkillers may reduce a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer, the new findings are preliminary and don’t prove a link.”